San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-10-05
BROOKLYN LETTER.
Special Correspondence.

ing some pertinent questions In regard
to the compilations OF "Beecher as a
Humorist." How did the volume hap
pen to be thought Off" "Did Mr.. Beeoher
know OF 1t, or see 1t. and II so, was he
pleased with the idea ?" As the answers
to these Inquiries will perhaps interest
the majority OF my readers, | venture TO
give them here.
As Sunday after Sunday, year after
year, | watched the vast army OF tire
and troubled faces enter Plymouth
church, and after a little light up with
interest, glow with hope, break into
smiles, and not infrequently heartiest
laughter, | told myself that some one
ought to collect these happy thoughts
and put them into such form
that those who were not able to
come to Plymouth" to be cheered, and
were too weary or too occupied to read
his sermons and lectures, could always
have volume Of his choicest humor as
well as his most comforting philosophy
at hand; and after his death his mourn
ing friends could be comforted by his
Oldtime wit and drollery. One morning
after the delivery OF sermon which had
been frequently interrupted by laughter
and applause, / said as | passed close to
him on my way out, "Mr. Beecher, you
reminded me once this morning Of Arte-
mus Ward" That's good" said he.
Poor Artemus! II he had to die SO ear
ly, why couldn't he have bequeathed his
mantle OF fun to some. other fellow"
"But let me tell you one thing" he add
ed with the greatest earnestness. 1.-THE
men and women who can make the
world laugh. are the worlds greatest
blessings. Whenever nv people break
into a tickle, | know I've got 'em."
Not very long after this began the work
OF reading and copying from the great
orators sermons. lectures, stories,
sketches and past prandlal speech.
This labor consumed months. | might
more properly say years. Mr.. Beecher
did not see the volume lie was to have
examined IL the very day he was strick-
en- down but tho book Ia certainly the
embodiment OF a thought which WAS not
very clear to him. 70 bring comfort and
good cheer were his highest ambition,
and none knew the value of laughter
better than this man who was certainly
acquainted with grief" | often won
der as turn the pages which were put
together with so much appreciation
and enthu'iasm, II the author Of
this pregnant Wit. humor and wisdom
has yet looked over the book.
have often pictured him laughing at
some of his own cOnceits, for, no doubt.
most Of the extracts would be new to
him or to others. My pen always loves
to linger upon such subjects. but specu-
latiOn Of this kind is called idle, and
time presses.
A very amusing story ia told OF a Bos-
ton girl who went to Paris for her we'd
ding trousseau. Her figure had BIZ en- the
admiration and envy OF her young
friends, and the despair Of mothers who
knew the price value of such a posses
sion in the matrimonial market. To
one OF the most famous astistes, the
briGe-elect took Der figure to be meas
ured. Not a single compliment did she
receive from the great authority. This
was unusual and somewhat wounding
to the young lady's much catered to
amour propre. But there was time
enough for this when the trying on pro-
cess commenced. But imagine the
girls disgust when the accomplished
mOdiste remarked critically, "Md'Ile
will pardon me, but TO satisfy the mode
the waist must be enlarged trifie. A
little padding under the arms, and
enough at the front and back is necessi-
tated to insure the desired symmetry"
"What?" exclaimed the agoniZed GUS
lOuttI WI O uttH lUlO HItel
and whalehOne ever since Ahe was ten
years old, "dO you mean to tell me that
large waists can ever be fashionable ?"
mot figures obese" said the authority
with shrug. but art has decided In
favor of the natural, and that we must
have" And so the Boston girl went to
the altar padded. Girls, who have been
buying cOrsets two or three sizes too
small for them, take warning. Its q la
mode now to know where your lungs
are located, and to breathe from the bot
tom of them. A correspondent asks II 1t
is fashionable TO leave the figure entire
ly unsupported. 1t Is not. Corsets that
give the wearer perfect freedom Of
movement and respiration, and at the
same time keep the bust in position, are
now in the greatest demand.
HE thee to gymnaslums, wasp
wasted girls, and learn to breathe,
for the man Of the period
knows what is stylish" as well as his
sister.
In answer to the question about en-
brOidery upon plush, | am happy to say
il Is no longer fashionable. The impos-
sible roses and lilies have gone quite out
of date. The linen troy cloths, buffet,
cOren, and cOreGn scarfs now displayed,
III plOb llul5 Win buEhu bllhb
crewels, are both pretty and dur
able. Conventional patterns are always
in better taste than wOuld-be natural
ones. The needle and the brush are two
different implements, fact which many
ladies seem 10 lose sight of.
A wall comes to me from brainy
little town on l.. 1. in regard to "the
total impossibilily Of ever learning
French verbs" | can tell you all Of a
master who removes every stumbling
block from the way Of q proper Partisan
pronunciation. and the requirement
Of knowledge Of those "hor-
rid French verbs" This gentle
man is Prof. f. Berger, OF Paris, and his
room are in the Domestic Building, 1853
Broadway. By means Of set of inge-
NOUS object lessons, the pupil soon finds
himself floating upon the sea of easy
and agreeable conversations. One Sc
cret of the simplicity Of the verbs is due
TO the fact that Prof. Berger is careful
to present only the most necessary ones
at first. The professors key to pro-
nunciatlon is wonderful, enabling pupils
to pronounce correctly when studying
alone at home. This gentleman has also
fashionable fencing academy for ladies.
Some day will tell you who goes there.
ELEANOR KIRK.
Ln EaIr